General Atomics unveils Mojave UAV

General Atomics formally unveiled their new Mojave UAV that was talked about last month. The UAV is capable of rough field operations, and carrying up to 16 Hellfire missiles at once. The aircraft was designed for Special Operations armed overwatch missions from rough areas, while carrying a payload larger than the current MQ-1C Grey Eagle. In a standard ISR configuration, it's capable of taking off from unimproved runways in just 400 feet. While fully armed, with 16 missiles, it only requires 1,000 feet of unimproved runway. Loiter time is as high as 25 hours, but that is reduced as payload increases.

General Atomics has no plans currently to field the aircraft in any large Army exercises, or for Special Operations, but reportedly has interest from several unnamed foreign customers. They expect that within a year they could see a customer. They're currently expanding the flight envelope, with testing the leading edge slats, and slow speed landings, as slow as 40-45 knots.

WASHINGTON: With the ability to carry 16 Hellfire missiles and take off and land in a dirt road, the new Mojave drone revealed today by General Atomics is designed to perform in dirty and dangerous environments where enemies are hiding.

But first, it just needs to find a customer.

The original idea behind Mojave — officially disclosed today, about a month after Breaking Defense first reported on it — was to build a drone that special operators could take into austere conditions that had a larger payload than the company’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle used by the Army, said Dave Alexander, president of General Atomics aeronautics business.

breakingdefense.com...

Sounds perfect for Ukraine and taiwan and rebels in afghnaistan.

They told me I’d have mine by Christmas batteries not included 😀

a reply to: Zaphod58

wonder if it will work as good as the Canadian goose, i had to climb a tree once to cut one free

a reply to: Zaphod58
Hellfires are pretty big and spectacular..For close in support think there are smaller weapons in development.

And with gun pods, it seems...

www.thedrive.com...

a reply to: anzha
Sorry just have to say it ...A10 replacement :-P